Storage tank
$1,600–$2,400Typical cost, including installation
WATER HEATER REPLACEMENT IN OAK RIDGE
Oak Ridge Water Heater
Replacement
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See what replacement costs ↓OAK RIDGE AT A GLANCE
Replacing a water heater in Oak Ridge.
Oak Ridge is unincorporated, so a water heater swap needs a $38 Orange County plumbing permit. All its tap water comes from the Orlando Utilities Commission, while Orange County handles sewer and permits, so residents deal with a city utility and a county building office for the same job. Power comes from Duke Energy or OUC. The strip along Oak Ridge Road between Orange Blossom Trail and I-4 is mostly renters, in apartment complexes and older block homes.
Oak Ridge is an unincorporated community in Orange County, so county offices handle permits.
- Permit to replace with the same type
- Yes · Orange County Division of Building Safety (unincorporated Orange County)
- Permit fee
- Orange County charges $38 for a stand-alone water heater permit (Fee Directory, plumbing fees effective July 2025).
- Who gets the permit
- A licensed contractor, or the homeowner acting as owner-builder under F.S. 489.103(7)(a). The homeowner first completes Orange County's Owner Builder Disclosure Statement, using the county's online instructions.
- Electric utility
- Duke Energy Florida or Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC)
- Gas utility
- Peoples Gas (TECO)
- Water
- Orlando Utilities Commission (entire CDP on Orange County's water-provider map); Orange County sewer · About 129 ppm (7 gpg) average, per OUC
- Rebate worth checking
- Duke Energy Florida heat pump water heater rebate (Home Energy Improvement) (Active)
- Typical home
- Built 1981 (median) · 34% owner-occupied
- Companies found
- 1 that advertise water heater work
01 / TYPICAL PRICES
What a new water heater costs.
Know before you call.
Heat-pump tank
$2,500–$5,000Typical cost, including installation
Tankless
$2,400–$5,400Typical cost, including installation
AI equipment illustrations; models vary and images are not to scale. Typical national prices from Home Depot ↗, checked September 28, 2026. The source doesn’t say how many jobs the ranges are based on. These are not Oak Ridge averages or guaranteed quotes.
Compare what each quote includes.Equipment · Labor · Permits · Old heater removalHow to compare quotes →
What we know about prices in Oak Ridge
- National installer’s published rangeThe ranges above. Home Depot ↗
- Local permit feeOrange County charges $38 for a stand-alone water heater permit (Fee Directory, plumbing fees effective July 2025).. Orange County Division of Building Safety (unincorporated Orange County) fee source ↗
- Local company’s advertised priceNone of the local company websites we checked list a full installed price.
- Measured local dataNot collected yet, so no Oak Ridge average is shown.
What can change the price in Oak Ridge?
A water heater swap may also call for an electrical permit, according to the county FAQ; those start at $38. Jobs worth more than $5,000 require a recorded Notice of Commencement.
02 / COMPANIES WE FOUND
Who replaces water heaters in Oak Ridge?
Companies that advertise water heater replacement here, with what their water heater customers say.
Companies we found in our research. They are not Ember & Tank providers or partners. We show selected reviews, not a rating or every review. How we choose reviews →
Brightwater Plumbing
Lists Oak Ridge among the areas it serves. Based in Winter Garden.
- Tank
- Tankless
- Repair
- Emergency service
What the reviews say
We haven’t found reviews that mention this company’s water heater work yet.
Order: companies based in Oak Ridge first, then companies whose water heater reviews we’ve read. Each group is alphabetical. These businesses are not our employees or vetted partners and do not receive requests from Ember & Tank. We haven’t checked their license, insurance or quality of work. DBPR license search (MyFloridaLicense) ↗.
See before-and-after replacement examples from independent companies →
HOMES IN OAK RIDGE
What Oak Ridge homes are like.
1981Median year built
47%Built before 1980
34%Owner-occupied
1%Heat with utility gas
41%Single-family homes
About 47% of homes were built before 1980. Older homes often have older venting, smaller closets and shutoff valves that should be checked before install day.
95% of homes heat with electricity, which usually means an electric water heater. It’s worth getting a price on a heat pump model too.
Only 34% of homes are owner-occupied. Renters should ask the landlord or property manager; replacing the heater is usually the owner’s decision.
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2024 5-year ↗ (2020-2024). Heating fuel is what homes use to heat the house. It often, but not always, matches the water heater’s fuel.
LOCAL CONDITIONS
What’s different in Oak Ridge.
OUC water, county sewer
Orange County's maps show all of Oak Ridge getting OUC water and Orange County sewer. OUC pumps from the Lower Floridan Aquifer, uses ozone to remove hydrogen sulfide, and says its water averages about 7 grains per gallon. That's moderate: scale builds slowly, but tankless heaters still benefit from regular flushing.
Orange County GIS - Water Service Provider layer ↗ · Orange County GIS - Wastewater Service Provider layer ↗ · OUC - Water Services (hardness, ozone treatment, source) ↗
A power company line that's been redrawn here
The 2007 territory agreement between OUC and Progress Energy (now Duke Energy Florida) moved a parcel on Lancaster Road, in the old Prosper Colony plat, to OUC, and runs other parts of the line along South Orange Blossom Trail. Check your power bill before counting on a rebate: OUC electric customers can get a $500 bill credit for an ENERGY STAR heat pump water heater, but customers who only get water from OUC can't.
Florida PSC Docket 070137-EQ - OUC/Progress Energy territorial agreement exhibits (2007) ↗ · OUC - $500 rebate on ENERGY STAR heat pump water heaters ↗
Landlords must keep hot water working
Florida Statutes section 83.51 makes landlords of apartments and other multi-unit buildings (not single-family homes or duplexes) responsible for hot water unless the written lease says otherwise. Since most Oak Ridge households rent, the usual step when a heater dies is a written notice to management, whose licensed plumber gets the Orange County permit.
Florida Statutes 83.51 - Landlord's obligation to maintain premises ↗ · Census Reporter - Oak Ridge CDP profile (tenure and structure type) ↗
ENERGY & WATER
Who supplies Oak Ridge homes.
Energy
- Electric: Duke Energy Florida or Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) (Both serve unincorporated Orange County; the Oak Ridge boundary wasn't confirmed, so look at your bill)
- Gas: Peoples Gas (TECO) (Peoples Gas lists unincorporated Orange County; in Florida, most homes use an electric water heater)
OUC petition to Florida PSC, Docket 20200107-EM (service area) ↗ · Florida PSC map: approximate investor-owned electric utility service areas (2024) ↗ · Peoples Gas tariff Sheet 6.101, counties and communities served ↗
Water
Orlando Utilities Commission (entire CDP on Orange County's water-provider map); Orange County sewer: About 129 ppm (7 gpg) average, per OUC
Orange County GIS - Water Service Provider layer ↗ · OUC - Water Services ↗
REBATES & CREDITS
Rebates for Oak Ridge homes.
For Duke Energy Florida or Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) and Peoples Gas (TECO) customers in Oak Ridge. Ask installers for the price before rebates, then check with the program that you qualify.
- Duke Energy Florida heat pump water heater rebate (Home Energy Improvement) ↗Active$500 for a 50-gallon or $800 for an 80-gallon ENERGY STAR heat pump (hybrid) water heater with a UEF of at least 3.3.
- Peoples Gas residential water heating rebates ↗ActiveNatural gas tank water heater: $350 gas-to-gas or $550 electric-to-gas ($400 / $650 for ENERGY STAR tanks).
- Federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) ↗EndedCovered improvements made through December 31, 2025.
Checked September 30, 2026. Who qualifies and the conditions: Florida rebates · How to check an incentive.
PERMITS & LICENSING
Permits and licenses in Oak Ridge.
Permits and who issues them
Orange County's permit FAQ: a water heater replacement requires a plumbing permit, and it may require an electrical permit. The plumbing permit is issued through Fast Track, the county's online system. At minimum, a final inspection must pass.
Any state-licensed contractor can get a permit. For locally licensed trades, Orange County issues competency cards ($69 for an initial contractor or master certification).
Orange County Division of Building Safety (unincorporated Orange County) ↗ · Orange County: Do I need a permit? ↗ · Orange County: Plumbing Permit ↗ · Orange County Fee Directory (plumbing fees effective July 2025) ↗
Check the installer’s license
Ask for the license number and search it yourself on the DBPR license search (MyFloridaLicense) ↗. A listing on Ember & Tank is not a license check. Florida licensing explained →
NEARBY CITIES
Compare places near Oak Ridge.
| City | Distance | Permit to replace | Fee | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Castle | 3 mi | Required (county) | $38 | Duke Energy Florida or Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) |
| Doctor Phillips | 5 mi | Required (county) | $38 | Duke Energy Florida or Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) |
| Conway | 5 mi | Required (county) | $38 | Duke Energy Florida, OUC (Orlando Utilities Commission) |
| Southchase | 7 mi | Required (county) | $38, | Duke Energy Florida or Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) |
| Hunters Creek | 8 mi | Required (county) | $38 | Duke Energy Florida |
| Lake Butler | 8 mi | Required (county) | $38 | Duke Energy Florida or Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Oak Ridge water heater questions.
I rent in Oak Ridge and the water heater died. Who replaces it?
In an apartment or other building that isn't a single-family home or duplex, Florida law makes hot water the landlord's job unless your written lease says otherwise. Tell management in writing.
Florida Statutes 83.51 - Landlord's obligation to maintain premises ↗
Who supplies water in Oak Ridge?
OUC, for the whole area, even though Oak Ridge is outside Orlando city limits. Orange County provides sewer and issues the plumbing permit.
Orange County GIS - Water Service Provider layer ↗ · Orange County - Do I need a permit? ↗
Is there a rebate for a heat pump water heater here?
Only if OUC is your electric company. It gives a $500 bill credit for ENERGY STAR heat pump water heaters. Duke Energy customers here can't get the OUC credit.
More guides: Florida water heater replacement · All local guides